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Austin took the top off his paper cup, inhaling the steam before he took a sip. “I appreciate you taking care of my grandmother.”
“It was no problem. I like her very much.”
“She told me that. She said you two have lunch every week. I didn’t know.”
“I met her the first week I was here. We had dinner together, and she told me some things.”
“Things?”
“Things you never told me and should have. It would have made things easier to understand.”
“What did she tell you?”
“You were sick and had a fiancée. I thought I was the only one.”
Austin stroked his chin. “You were the only one who counted, and I fucked it up with my stupid hang-ups.”
“I’ve let it go.”
“I haven’t. I shouldn’t have said those things to you. You weren’t her, but it all came flooding back.”
“Do you honestly believe I would’ve done what she did? I loved you. I would’ve taken care of you if you got sick.”
“You loved me?”
I couldn’t admit to Austin that I still loved him. My heart was starting to open up again, and if he rejected me, I would be lost forever.”
I fixed my eyes on my coffee cup. “I moved on. You said we weren’t right for each other.”
“You said it, too. Do you believe it?”
I looked up at him. “It doesn’t matter what I believe. It’s over.”
“I want to be friends. Can we do that?”
“I’m not sure. I’m afraid we’ll tear open old wounds.”
“I can move past our relationship.”
“I’m not sure I can. It hurt. I’m a bitch again, thanks to that failure.”
“I don’t think that’s true.”
“Ask my employees. My job is my life. I work, I travel, bark out orders, and get things done. I think my destiny was always to be alone. It’s how I was brought up. With that said, I enjoyed our time together. You made me happy.”
“And now?”
“I just am.”
Austin frowned. “Don’t you want more? A husband, children, a life outside of work?”
“I did, but that’s not what my life’s plan is.”
He took another sip of coffee. “Are friends part of that plan?”
“They could be. I don’t have many, and my employees hate me.”
“They don’t know you.”
